Gee. This gathering thing is not always so easy to do, is it? I got to thinking that this is about the time paw paws are ripe. Actually, since I rarely see paw paw fruits on their trees, I thougtht a good way to let me know they were ripe was to wait until I saw them being sold at the Columbia Farmer's Market. So, I waited and I waited and then realized that the vendor who brings paw paws was not participating in the market this year. This made me realize that I didn't have a good feeling for when exactly paw paws did ripen. This week I took a hike in the woods and walked by a few paw paw patches. I shook untold trees and came up with . . .one paw paw. Did I miss their season? Were the trees I was finding not mature enough to produce fruits? Hmmm. One paw paw. What's a person supposed to whip up with that?
My luck turned, however, when I asked my coworker if he could collect paw paws if he ran across any while he was out. Can you believe that it just so happens his neighbor has a nice sized paw paw in his back yard that produces 2-3 gallons of fruits per year?! John gathered up a couple dozen of those babies for me. Thank you! These were not large paw paws and it look maybe 12-15 to make a cup of pulp. I froze the pulp until persimmons are ripe for the 4-p cake recipe in the book (pear, paw paw, persimmons and pecans). Paw paws are such a cool looking tropical-like tree. I'm glad to be focusing on them this fall.
